But the start of fall is definitely easier to swallow with a bounty of fresh apples to bake with.

“Apple Pumpkin Galette” caught my attention because of the addition of the autumn hard squash in it. The recipe is from the new “Sunset Cook Taste Savor” (Oxmoor House) of which I received a review copy.

The straightforward dough recipe for the galette makes enough for two of these free-form tarts, but you can just freeze half the batch to use at another time.

The dough is rolled out into a circle. You fill the center with slices of apples and pumpkin — or kabocha squash, as I used as recommended by the cookbook — that have been tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, a dash of bourbon and sugar. Then, fold the edges of the dough over, before baking.

With Sunset’s meticulous testing, I was taken aback by the amount of sugar called for in the filling, which seemed like way too much. The recipe originally called for 1/3 cup brown sugar plus 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar for three apples and 1 1/2 pounds of squash (about half of a small pumpkin or kabocha). So, I decided to cut the amount of granulated sugar back to 3/4 cup, which turned out to be plenty. But feel free to add more if you have a big sweet tooth.

The pastry bakes up flaky with a hearty filling. My husband was not too keen on the addition of the squash. He would have preferred an unadulterated apple tart instead. Me? I kind of liked how the kabocha made this tart unique. It gave it a slightly savory quality and added a twist.

One of fall’s earliest apples: the SweeTango.

The original recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, but I used SweeTango ones instead, of which I had received a sample. The SweeTango is a cross between a Honeycrisp and a Zestar! apple. It’s got a great crunch and wine-y, spicy flavor.

SweeTango apples are an early season variety. They’re available at Walmart through the end of September, and at Mollie Stone’s and Safeway stores hrough October.

CONTEST: Three lucky Food Gal readers will each win a couple of pounds of SweeTango apples, an apple timer, a cutting board, a T-shirt, and a reusable grocery bag. Entries are limited to those in the continental United States, as well as Alaska and Hawaii. Entries will be accepted through midnight PST Sept. 28. Winners will be announced Sept. 30.

How to win?

You already read how I used these apples in an intriguing galette. Just tell me how you would most enjoy eating these apples — and why. Best three answers win the prize packages.

Set dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a large round about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill until ready to fill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack set on bottom rung. Lay pumpkin slices on a greased baking sheet. Roast, turning over once, until tender when pierced, about 10 minutes.

Mix apples, spices, salt, flour, both sugars and bourbon until evenly coated. Add pumpkin and toss just to combine.

Pour apple filling into center of dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold edges over fruit, allowing dough to pleat as you go. Dip a pastry brush in water and brush folded edges of dough. Sprinkle edges with coarse sugar.

Whisk together flour, sugar and kosher salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Drizzle the very cold water over crumbs and pulse just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a work surface and gather into a ball, turning to combine any dry crumbs. Divide dough in half, form each piece into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes. If only making one galette, you can place the remaining half of the dough in a plastic bag, seal well, and freeze.

Recipes adapted from ”Sunset Cook Taste Savor”

Winner of Last Week’s Contest

In the previous Food Gal contest, I asked you tell me about your favorite breakfast treat. Winner will receive an almond packed prize from the Almond Board of California. It includes 1 pound of whole natural almonds, one jar of almond butter, 1 pound of sliced almonds, an insulated travel pouch for breakfast on the go, and a $20 VISA gift card to help you purchase everything else you need for a hearty breakfast.

Congrats to:

Margot C., who wrote: “McIlpenny Hens with Grits and Shrimp. My favorite breakfast is one that now I very rarely get to have. Grits give my husband the heebie jeebies (he says, I’m pretty sure he’s never even tried them) and somehow breaking out the shrimp just for myself seems churlish.

The McIlpenny Hens part though; I make all of the time. I grew up in New Orleans and everyone makes these there though they don’t call them that. Basically it’s a poached egg with a few grains of coarse salt, a pat of butter and a liberal bunch of drops of Tabasco Sauce in the bottom of the poaching cup. No less a cook and great soul than Paul McIlhenny himself showed me how to make this when I was a teenager (though he didn’t call them McIlpenny Hens either!). The name was attached years later when I made them for my friends in the East Village in New York in the 1980s where they were very popular.

To make the entire breakfast you need to have grits of course (more butter, more salt, more Tabasco – oh yes) and fresh head-on shrimp. Rinse those shrimp very thoroughly in cold water then just cook those wet bad boys in a shallow pan adding butter and minced garlic as the water begins to cook away. If they are gigantic this might take all of 7 minutes.”